April 21, 2017

Commitments for Funding Years 2016 and 2015

Funding Year 2016. USAC is scheduled to release Funding Year (FY) 2016 Wave 44 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) on April 27. This wave includes commitments for approved applications for all service types and at all discount levels. As of April 21, FY2016 commitments total over $2.45 billion.

On the date the FCDLs are issued, you can access your FCDL notification from the Notifications section of your landing page in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC).

Funding Year 2015. USAC released FY2015 Wave 75 FCDLs on April 7 and will release Wave 76 FCDLs on April 25. These waves include commitments for approved requests for all service types and at all discount levels. As of April 21, FY2015 commitments total over $3.31 billion.

The day after the wave runs, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC's Automated Search of Commitments tool. FCDLs for FY2015 will continue to be printed and mailed to applicants and service providers, and emailed to service providers who have signed up to receive electronic notifications. 

How to Request an Extension of the June 30 Deadline to Complete FY2016 Special Construction Required to Light or Use the Fiber

USAC created a Special Construction Deadline Extension Request (SCDER) worksheet that can be uploaded into the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) for applicants who are unable to complete the special construction and need to request an extension of the June 30 deadline to complete construction and light the fiber. Additional background, a description of the worksheet, instructions on filing the request, and the process for reviewing and approving the request are discussed below.

To be eligible for E-rate discounts for special construction charges – whether for leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber, or a self-provisioned network – special construction must be completed in time for the fiber to be lit (or for a self-provisioned network involving another technology to be in use) by the end of the relevant funding year (June 30). If this June 30 deadline is not met, the special construction charges will not be eligible for support under program rules.

In the Second E-rate Modernization Order (FCC 14-189, released December 19, 2014), the FCC allowed applicants seeking support for special construction related to leased dark fiber and self-provisioned networks to request a one-year extension of the June 30 deadline by demonstrating that construction was unavoidably delayed due to weather or other reasons. Applicants seeking support for special construction related to leased dark fiber or self-provisioned networks may obtain this one-year extension by demonstrating to USAC that the late issuance of a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) (or non-issuance of an FCDL) has unavoidably delayed special construction in a manner that prevents the fiber from being lit (or a self-provisioned network using another technology to be in use) by the June 30 deadline. For FY2016, applicants who sought support for special construction charges related to leased lit fiber may also request an extension on this basis if the applicants requested support for the special construction charges in a funding request that is separate and distinct from the leased lit fiber recurring charges.

Please note: This extension is only available for projects involving distinct special construction funding requests. Applicants only seeking support for recurring charges associated with fiber services must light the associated fiber by the end of the funding year (June 30) and may not seek an extension based on unavoidably delayed construction.

To request a one-year extension of the FY2016 deadline to complete special construction and light the fiber (June 30, 2017), please follow the instructions provided below. In order for USAC to evaluate your extension request, please be prepared to certify one of the following:

• USAC issued your FCDL after February 2017 and special construction did not begin until you received the FCDL;
• USAC has not yet issued your FCDL and special construction has not yet begun;
• USAC has not yet issued your FCDL and you opted to commence special construction, but that work began after February 2017; or
• A detailed explanation of why construction for your project has been unavoidably delayed and the June 30 deadline to light the fiber cannot be met despite receiving an FCDL and/or commencing special construction in February 2017 or earlier. Relevant details include the date that you received your FCDL (or statement that the FCDL has not been received yet), the date that you started special construction, the breadth and complexity of the fiber build project, and any other factors relevant to your particular circumstances (e.g., weather, terrain) that caused the delay.

If the extension request is granted, the new deadline to complete special construction and light the fiber for the FY2016 special construction funding request will be June 30, 2018. Note that if you have not yet received an FCDL from USAC, the extension will take effect if and when your funding commitment is approved. If your funding request is denied, your request for an extension will be treated as moot.

The deadline for seeking an extension for FY2016 funding requests is June 30, 2017. We recommend that you file your request as soon as you are certain that you will not be able to light the fiber by the June 30 deadline.

Instructions for preparing and submitting your extension request are below.

1. Prepare your request.

Download a copy of the Special Construction Deadline Extension Request worksheet. You can find a direct link to this worksheet in the QUICK LINKS section on the main page of the USAC website.

The worksheet contains three tabs – General Details, Service Delivery Extension, and Certification Details. The database fields that must be completed are highlighted in yellow. If you have more than one Funding Request Number (FRN), please complete a separate worksheet for each FRN.

On the General Details tab, complete the following fields:

• The Billed Entity Name.
• Your name (the person completing the worksheet) and the date and time.
• The FCC Form 471 application number and nickname.
• Enter "Yes" for the Service Delivery Extension Request and provide an explanation of the reason(s) you are requesting the extension, for example:
  • USAC issued your FCDL after February 2017 and special construction did not begin until you received the FCDL;
  • USAC has not yet issued your FCDL and special construction has not yet begun;
  • USAC has not yet issued your FCDL and you opted to commence special construction, but that work began after February 2017; or
  • A detailed explanation of why construction for your project has been unavoidably delayed and the June 30 deadline to light the fiber cannot be met despite receiving an FCDL and/or commencing special construction in February 2017 or earlier. Relevant details include the date that you received your FCDL (or statement that the FCDL has not been received yet), the date that you started special construction, the breadth and complexity of the fiber build project, and any other factors relevant to your particular circumstances (e.g., weather, terrain) that caused the delay.

On the Service Delivery Extension tab, complete the following fields:

• The FRN and the FRN nickname.
• The Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and service provider name.
• Answer the two service provider questions with "yes" or "no" as appropriate. If these questions do not pertain to the reason you are requesting a service delivery extension or if you wish to add additional information, use the narrative field below the questions to provide new or additional information.

On the Certification Details tab, complete the following fields:

• The name of the person who is certifying the form.
• The date the form is being certified.
• The title, employer, phone number, email address, and mailing address of the person certifying the form.
• Check the three certifications.

2. Open a customer service case in EPC.

To open a customer service case, log in to EPC and go to your landing page. Click the link marked Contact Us at the top of the page. You can also click the Actions tab at the top of any page in EPC and choose Contact Us from the menu.

3. Identify and complete your request.

• Start your entry in the Title field with the letters "SCDER" (for Special Construction Deadline Extension Request) to flag your request for USAC. You can then add more information to the title to help you differentiate this customer service case from others that you have filed.
• In the Description section, enter the FCC Form 471 application number(s) and the FRN(s) that need a deadline extension.
• Choose "Post-Commitment Changes" from the Topic menu and "Other" from the Subtopic menu.
• Choose "High" from the Priority dropdown menu and "EPC" from the Inquiry Type dropdown menu.
• Upload the Special Construction Deadline Extension Request worksheet you completed for Item 1.
• Provide the contact information for the person best able to discuss and provide details about your request. We suggest that you choose an EPC user for your organization with full rights. (You can create a new user if you wish.)
• When you have provided all of the required information, click the green Submit button at the bottom of the screen.

4. Respond to any USAC questions.

If USAC has any questions for you, they will be posted to the customer service case you created. We suggest that you return to the case after you submit it and click the green Follow button so that you will receive an email if any changes are made to the case. You should also check the case regularly to see if any questions have been posted.

Please answer any questions you receive promptly and completely. You may also ask your service provider to assist you with your responses if the requested information is technical in nature. Please call the Client Service Bureau (CSB) at 888-203-8100 if you have any questions.

5. Review USAC's decision.

After USAC has completed its review, we will communicate our decision in the customer service case you opened and attach a copy of our Administrator's Decision Letter to the case.

If you disagree with our decision, you can file an appeal. As with other post-commitment processes, file your appeal with USAC first. If you disagree with USAC's decision on your appeal, you have the option to file an appeal with the FCC.

Webinar: FCC Form 471 Application Process

E-rate Program applicants are invited to participate in a webinar on how to prepare for and complete the Funding Year 2017 FCC Form 471. The webinar is tailored for applicants who have completed their competitive bidding process and are ready to file the FCC Form 471. During the webinar, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a live question and answer session with members of the Schools and Libraries team.

Registration for this event is now open and available in the "Upcoming Events" section of the Schools and Libraries Trainings & Outreach page.

If you can't attend the live presentation, register for the webinar and we’ll send you a link to the recording. The recording will also be posted in the Online Learning Library.